The other night I was in the company of about 30 people, the majority of whom I did not know. We had come to celebrate the birthday of a friend, whom we all knew. The seating arrangements were by choice, which allowed me to have conversation with new people.
What became clear, from the very beginning, was that most people want to be seen, and heard. People love the opportunity to introduce themselves in a variety of ways. For some it is through stories, or perhaps through their personal testimonies. What becomes very clear is that they want to tell you about themselves. Once again, there is a part of us that wants to be known.
At some point the gentlemen to my right began to share a bit about his journey. As I listened, I saw how a smile came to his face when he told of the things that God was unfolding in his life. I was very interested to hear of how God was uniquely using this man to help people who suffered from anxiety. His formula was different than anything I had ever heard. He was using the unique talents that the Lord had given him to minister to suffering people. Several times during our conversation this man thanked me for listening. In fact, he said that it was the first time he had actually been able to tell someone in depth what God was doing through him.
The next day, I thought how easy I could have overlooked this man, and how much I would have missed. I would have missed the opportunity to rejoice with this fellow believer as I gave him a listening ear, and an open heart.
Philippians 2:3 TPT Be free from pride-filled opinions, for they will only harm your cherished unity. Don’t allow self-promotion to hide in your hearts, but in authentic humility put others first and view others as more important than yourselves.